


getting back Christmas

by merdarkandtwisty



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Angst, Christmas season 5, First Christmas without Haley, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 19:38:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9008101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merdarkandtwisty/pseuds/merdarkandtwisty
Summary: On Christmas it would be one month.  that's all he could think as he sat looking at the pile of unwrapped presents.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: I’m unwrapping all these memories, fighting back the tears. It’s just a different kind of Christmas this year

.

I don’t own criminal minds

One month, it would be  one month since she died. That’s all he could think as he stared at the unwrapped pile of gifts that sat in front of him. This had been something they used to do together. Even in the years they’d been separated they’d still get together and wrap the presents.

He drifted back into his mind. Laughter, wrapping paper, ribbons kisses in the early years. A taut truce in the later. Her smile flashed through his mind. His heart felt like it had just been stabbed. He looked towards the room where his slumbering son lay. He had to make this Christmas okay for Jack. He had to. Everything else was tainted in the little boy’s life he wouldn’t let this be to.

He shook his head he knew it wasn’t okay that no matter what Jack would be missing his mother wanting his mother and Aaron could give him every present on his Christmas list. He could do every tradition that Haley would have but he couldn’t give his little boy the one thing that he wanted desperately. He couldn’t give him his mommy back.

“I need you Haley, Jack needs you.” Aaron whispered into the still night. He looked back down at the present before thrusting them away from him. He couldn’t bear to look at them. All the pretty packages laid out in front of him. Begging for even prettier wrapping.

“Look Aaron.” He swore he heard Haley’s voice whisper in his ear. He looked out the window and saw the snow falling to the ground. Soft, fluffy flakes falling to the cold ground. He closed his eyes. His arms wrapped around Haley. Her blond hair twisted up. He remembered holding her close, watching another snow fall to the ground. With his eyes closed he could almost feel her now.

He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Too big to be Jack’s. to hard to be Jess’s. His eyes popped open and his head turned and he was looking into the eyes of Spencer Reid.

Spencer looked at the unwrapped presents surrounding Aaron. He’d knocked on the door for what felt like forever. He’d wrapped his coat around himself and finally he’d let himself finding the other man sitting on the floor eyes closed. He didn’t want to startle him so he’d walked up him and gently laid his hand on his shoulder. “Aaron are you okay?” Spencer once again looked at the disarray surrounding them.

“Yeah.” Aaron swallowed. He pulled on of the presents close to him. “Just thinking of Haley. “Christmas will be one month.” He whispered and Spencer nodded.

“Here let me help.” He took one of the presents off the pile and pulled the wrapping paper close to him.

“Thanks.” Aaron said at barely a whisper. “What are you doing here, not that I mind?” Aaron looked up briefly from the toy he was wrapping.

He didn’t see it but he could almost feel the shrug. “Thought you could use some company.” Spencer glanced up at him. he swallowed as his eyes caught Aaron’s.

“Thanks.” Aaron just said that one word but it held so much more meaning then either was willing to admit.

Spencer just nodded and the two of them went back to their present wrapping silently sitting by side. Spencer could see Aaron falling into his memories from time to time and Spencer let him. let him have the time he needed to be with Haley. To say goodbye his own way. To remember the good times because he knew there had been good times.

The last present was wrapped and put away and Spencer pushed up off the floor he walked towards the door and he grabbed his coat slipping into it. He was buttoning the last button when he felt Aaron’s hand on his own.

“Stay.” He whispered. Spencer looked up. The warmth of Aaron’s hand over his own.

“Yeah okay.” He whispered.

Aaron watched him take his coat back off and he thought of all he wanted to say and couldn’t. not yet. He felt a soft laugh he swore he heard it. He closed his eyes. Haley flashed in his mind and he knew somehow someway she’d set this up.

It was a different type of Christmas this year this first without Haley but he could do it he could make it good for not only his son but himself and he knew without a doubt that Haley would approve.


End file.
